VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0344/01 1041849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141849Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4782
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 3921
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2385
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1440
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0850
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2042
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 6126
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4353
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2304
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000344 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT:  CHILE MEDIA REPORT - APRIL 14 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1.  As part of an agreement with the Economic Prosecutor's Office, 
pharmacy chain FASA will be fined US$1 million for collusion with 
other pharmaceutical chains to hike prices.  The agreement excludes 
FASA from further charges.  Dailies also highlighted that the Health 
Ministry traced the recent outbreak of the listerioris bacteria to 
dried chicken and pork products produced by "Elaboradora de 
Alimemtos Donihue," which only sells its products in Santiago. 
 
U.S.-Related News 
----------------- 
¶2.  La Moneda is waiting for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to 
respond to Chile's date proposal for Presidents Obama and Bachelet 
to meet (La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent, circ. 
4,200, 4/14). 
 
¶3.  Foreign Affairs Minister Fernandez will meet today in Washington 
with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss a Bachelet visit 
with President Obama (El Mercurio, conservative, influential 
newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 4/14). 
 
¶4.  Wal-Mart is patenting an array of brands with the Intellectual 
Property Rights National Institute (INAPI) in anticipation of 
changes to local laws that would allow supermarkets to sell 
pharmaceutical products (El Mercurio, 4/14). 
 
Summit of the Americas - Cuba 
----------------------------- 
¶5.  Attention at the Summit of the Americas will focus on U.S. 
resolutions -- "signs" -- toward the region.  In that context, OAS 
Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said that the U.S. decision to 
allow Cuban-Americans to travel to the island and to lift 
restrictions on remittances is one of those "signs" (La Tercera, 
conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 4/14). 
 
¶6.  In addition to ending restrictions on remittances and 
Cuban-American travel to Cuba, President Obama also authorized U.S. 
telecommunications companies to offer cell phone and television 
services in Cuba.  Some say these announcements mark the beginning 
of the end of the embargo. Obama, on the other hand, is confident 
that his recent decisions will mark a difference with regard to the 
Bush administration and show that he is willing to open channels of 
communication with Cuba (La Tercera, 4/14). 
 
¶7.  Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D), one of the representatives who 
met recently in Havana with Fidel and Raul Castro, commented on the 
meeting:  "He asked us how he could help Obama and said he was 
willing to reciprocate Washington's gestures to turn the 
relationship around.... Raul Castro sent the same message:  They 
want to have normal ties, willing to open channels of 
communications.  They want President Obama to succeed" (La Tercera, 
4/14). 
 
¶8.  Cuban historian Jesus Arboleya (and Arcis University-invitee) 
said President Obama shifted his policy on Cuba to restore the 
damaged prestige of the U.S. government.  This shift was a response 
to pressure from the Cuban-American community and the global 
business community, which needs new markets in times of crisis (La 
Nacion, 4/14). 
 
¶9.  Chilean entrepreneur in Cuba Max Marambio said Obama's 
announcement "is a step in the right direction that reflecting the 
way the winds are blowing."  However, he noted the announcements 
have no relation to the embargo.  He added that a resolution 
relevant to lifting the embargo would be to allow all Americas to 
travel to Cuba, without any restrictions (La Segunda, conservative, 
afternoon, circ. 33,000, 4/13). 
 
¶10.  Cuban Ambassador to Chile Ileana Diaz-Arguelles said Obama's 
resolutions: "Are just a part of the criminal policy that today the 
entire world rejects, which is the blockade on Cuba" (La Nacion, 
4/14). 
 
¶11.  In his efforts at rapprochement with the Latino world, 
President Obama surprised everyone by lifting restrictions on 
remittances and travel to Cuba by Cuban Americans. Yesterday, in yet 
another step in the same direction, National Security Council 
advisor Dan Restrepo gave the first bilingual press conference at 
the White House, explaining that the end of the restrictions were 
intended to "extend a hand to the people of Cuba and support them in 
their desire to freely determine the future of their country" (La 
Nacion, 4/14). 
 
Sports Diplomacy 
---------------- 
¶12. Extensive coverage of the SOUTHCOM baseball clinics with more 
than 60 children and the team's games against adult baseball squads 
in San Antonio and Santiago.  The U.S. team is in Chile as part of 
their "Partnership Tour 2009" to promote the practice of baseball 
(Community dailies El Lider, 4/10-13; Proa Regional, 4/12). 
 
Human Rights 
------------ 
¶13.  U.N. Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Affairs, James Anaya, 
met in Chile with government and judiciary officials and with over 
100 Mapuche representatives in Santiago, Temuco, and Iquique.  At 
the end of his visit, Anaya issued a positive report about the 
government's policies, highlighting the ratification of the ILO's 
Convention Nr. 169, the Senate's vote to legislate for the 
constitutional recognition of indigenous peoples, and the special 
provisions for indigenous communities in the new education law. 
¶14.  The Mapuche community was not satisfied with the report, 
claiming Anaya failed to review whether the suggestions made by the 
previous rapporteur in 2003 had been fulfilled.  The community 
leaders were especially unhappy with Anaya's statement, that he 
"condemns the use of violence as a means of protest, even if it is 
related to legitimate claims" of the Mapuche people.  The report 
also expressed concerns over alleged discrimination and mistreatment 
of indigenous communities during police operations in indigenous 
localities (El Mercurio, 4/14). 
 
SIMONS